


good ends, true ends

by chouzai



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, gotta play those otoge to win the heart of ur man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 13:08:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14237961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chouzai/pseuds/chouzai
Summary: But if he were to gain knowledge on love somehow, he’s glad it’s with Hinata, the boy who’s warm like the sun and welcomed him with open arms despite all his oddities.





	good ends, true ends

**Author's Note:**

> in which sora goes to natsume for dating advice but shishou's never dated :pensive:
> 
> this was my entry for the enstars rarepair zine and, as expected because i'm predictable, it was hinasora  
> all the entries for it are so good i just CLENCHES FIST... thank you for having me!

Sora learned nearly everything he knew about the world via video games.

From mythological creatures to a “regular” teen’s life, the amount of knowledge Sora had was unlimited! And they say people don’t learn anything from gaming all the time. He’s become able to play on four different controllers using his hands and feet— If that isn’t an acquired skill, then it must be due to the natural talent Master always praises him on.

Added in to that bank of knowledge, surprisingly, was the ins and outs of romance. That’s a strange thing to say for a boy whose only friend for the longest time was a gaming console. But he likes to play all kinds of games, and boyish he may be, if he had to have some form of social interaction to prepare himself for RL people… Well, logically it’d be otome games, right?

At least, that was the idea.

There was an odd complexity to these types of games, considering each action could determine a good or bad ending. The goal was to make the dateable characters happy, and though it took some time, like everything else Sora had played, he’d perfected it. Good endings, warm feelings, second hand embarrassment and all, it was a fun experience!

And it’s not like that’s the only thing he uses as reference when it comes to love. He has his parents to look back on and any other relationship he’s come across in whatever other game he’s run through. But, considering how his own relationships with other people were nearly nonexistent, the closest thing he had to “firsthand experience” were otoge.

So, when he realizes he likes Hinata as more than a friend, he decides to use what he knows best: the different methods used to win a character’s heart in game. “It’ll get him to notice Sora!” he had claimed, and naively, he believed it’d work.

Over the course of two months, Sora did everything he did in those games to Hinata. He complimented him, gave him gifts, hung out with him on weekends… And it all proved fruitless.

Although not completely troubled by it, the hue in Hinata’s color never changed, no matter his best efforts. Honestly, it was more baffling than it was upsetting, and with any other problem Sora has difficulty solving, he went to Natsume for help.

“Sora doesn’t understand…~” he sighed, feet dangling off the side of the desk he was comfortably seated on. “Sora tries hard, Master…~ Could Hina-chan just be a NPC…? Sora doesn’t want that…~ Hina-chan’s a main character, you know~?”

With an amused grin, Natsume ruffled the boy’s hair. “Humans are more Complex than mere video game characters, SoRa,” comes his reminder, a chuckle leaving him as a glimmer of realization sparks in the blond’s eyes. The expression on the elder’s features becomes thoughtful for a moment, hand rested on Sora’s head raising to his chin.

“Although, it’s Difficult for you to find a Solution when your only references _are_ those Games…”

“That’s right! Sora doesn’t have any real life firsthand experience~ He’s only seen it with other people and in media~” And then he pauses, looking up at Natsume with clear expectation (and in response, Natsume silently gulps). “HuHu~ Master’s popular, right~? You look cool and Switch’s fans always say ‘Natsume-kun’s so attractive~ Kyaa…~’”

He trails off, blinking in confusion as he notices Natsume’s reddening cheeks.

“Master~?”

“… Having Sora imitate our fans is a strange Feeling…”

“HeHe~ Did Sora make you uncomfortable~? Sora’s sorry! But, but! Anyway! With Master’s popularity, he’s sure to have more experience than Sora, right~? Like always, please explain to Sora in full detail! He’ll use you as reference with Hina-chan~ Maybe the cool approach would work best, huh~ Sora’ll imitate you as best as he can!”

“… Perhaps it’d be best if we Return to your roots and replay a few of those Dating games… Choosing wrong responses and attempting to Recover from them may work best…”

“Eh…~? But, Master, you didn’t answer Sora’s request—”

“Prying into the romantic life of Another is meddlesome, Sora,” Natsume scolds, though the awkwardness tinging the color of his voice would never fly over Sora’s head. Realizing even Natsume had things he was inexperienced with, Sora let him off the hook with a simple _HoHo~? Sora’s sorry~_

And so, following Natsume’s suggestion, they returned to the place of Sora’s “experience.”

They played for a good hour, arguing over which choices were better until Sora saw it: the color of Hinata’s footsteps. The door opens faster than he can shut the game off, Hinata’s greeting trailing off as the loud, romantic date BGM filled the room.

“... So, um…” Hinata’s lips are pursed together, but Sora knows it’s his _I’m-Really-Trying-Not-To-Laugh-Promise_ expression. “I came by since Sora-kun wanted to spend time together after school but… To get caught up playing an otoge…” His grin widened, the mirth in his eyes sparkling more and more by the second. “I didn’t know you and Sakasaki-senpai played games like those. The Game Club explores all types of genres, huh~?”

“’Research’ _is_ in the Club’s name,” Natsume says simply, and as if everything moved in slow motion, Sora saw the realization dawning on Hinata’s expression. Sora’s cheeks began to burn with an embarrassed red, and when blue met bright green, Sora was out of the room within seconds.

He already knew Hinata had followed him, his distinct color bright in Sora’s vision. If this was any other situation, Sora would love to pause and watch it become brighter and brighter until it was all he could see. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the time, so he kept running, and when they made it outside the school building, he was already poised to leap onto the brick walls.

“S-Sora-kun! Jeez, what’re you running for?! Don’t climb, okay?! If you climb, I can’t follow you as easily!”

“That’s the point though, Hina-chan…! Sora’s embarrassed, so please leave him alone, okay~?!”

“Embarrassed? Of what? Using a dating game as reference when trying to…” he trails off, a laugh involuntarily leaving him. “Get the ‘Good End’ with me?”

“That’s right! Sora’s embarrassed over that, so—”

His words are abruptly cut off, brows raised high on his forehead as he stares at Hinata in shock. His mouth is left agape, eyelids fluttering as if attempting to process the sudden knowledge only to be broken out of his stupor when Hinata releases a heavy sigh.

“It’s not too hard to figure it out when Sora-kun calls me things like… _P-pretty_ … No guy wants to hear that, you know?! I wanna be called ‘cool’ and stuff…”

“Eh…~? But, Hina-chan, you _are_ pretty… When your hair gets blown by a breeze, Sora gets distracted… You look nice…~”

With furrowed brows, Hinata gestures to the blond in a _That’s what I’m talking about!_ manner. His cheeks are dusted with the softest shades of pink, and… it’s cute. It’s cute to the point Sora momentarily forgets how flustered he should be. This soft, shy expression on Hinata’s face is one he hasn’t seen before, and quickly, his mind tucks it away with every other treasured memory.

“… S-Sora-kun, quit staring at me already… See, you know, you do that a lot… Watching me and stuff… If I didn’t notice you… Ya’ know… Then I’d have to be blind.”

And with the revelation, the embarrassment returns, Sora’s throat suddenly becoming dry. “Hina-chan… Knew…? This whole time…?” He receives a nod of confirmation, and in several strides, they’re standing face to face, Sora’s hands gripping Hinata’s tightly. “Th-then why didn’t Hina-chan’s ‘color’ change?! Sora thought… Sora thought…!”

His gaze falls to his shoes, shoulders slumping. His worry lingers in the air for a moment, his head only raising in response to Hinata clearing his throat.

“Sora-kun’s affectionate with all his friends… That’s why, I wasn’t sure… On you liking me like that, I mean. But, when Sakasaki-senpai said ‘research’ it clicked, you know?” The corners of his lips twitch up into a small smile, shyness mixed with what Sora hopes is excitement. “Complimenting me like that… Wanting to hang out, even when you’re bad with crowds… They’re very Sora-kun-like, but somehow… It was a little too perfect. Especially for Sora-kun, of all people.”

The smile he wears becomes wider with his tease, Sora’s eyes narrowing with a huff. But he can’t hide the hopefulness he feels, his hands squeezing Hinata’s ever so slightly, breath caught in his throat as though he couldn’t breathe. The color of Hinata’s voice, the atmosphere, the way he looked at him as though Sora wasn’t the only one that had gone two months waiting for him to notice, _please just notice_.

It felt surreal, as though he were in a dream, but when Hinata leans forward, bumping their foreheads together, looking as though that took him all the courage in the world, Sora comes to terms with the realness of it all. He inhales, peering up at the meadows of green that were Hinata’s eyes. If this is what it felt like to have his affections returned, then he could truly understand the sheer happiness each otoge character felt.

It really was a nice feeling, just like the every game’s narration had said.

Sora is an observant boy, so when he sees something restrained in the greens of Hinata’s eyes, he tilts his head, brow raised in curiosity. He wanted to bask in the knowledge their feelings were probably mutual, but for Hinata, he’d step down from cloud nine.

“Hina-chan? What is it~? Sora can tell whenever you’re hiding something, you know~? It’s a special ‘Hina-chan Radar,’ okay~?”

His jest is responded to with an eye roll, though the small smile the taller wore indicated he at least appreciated the sentiment. He’s silent for a moment before he gently tugs his hands from Sora’s hold, stepping away to put the slightest bit distance between them. It alarms the blond at first, but when he sees Hinata’s blush had managed to creep to his ears without him noticing, he decides to hold his tongue.

“So… Back to that whole… Otoge thing…”

“Eh~? Hina-chan broke the mood to go back to that…~?”

“… _Anyway_. Since Sora-kun is so knowledgeable on that stuff, aren’t you missing a step? Sora-kun’s the one that’s been leading me on~ Stop messing with a maiden’s heart, you player~”

“… Hina-chan what kind of character are you supposed to be…”

Yet, despite his comment, Sora takes Hinata’s mild complaint to heart, seriously thinking it through. But then it clicks, quicker than Hinata seemed to anticipate, because when Sora smiles at him with a smile that could rival the sun, his breath hitches.

“Hina-chan… You know, Sora’s been watching over you for a long time. He’s wanted to make you happy ever since he met you…”

“W-wait, a-are you taking responsibility?! Why does this sound like a marriage proposal?!”

“HaHa~ This is where Sora should say _‘If it’s you, being together forever would be okay,’_ huh~? Well, Sora does feel like that~ Being together for as long as we can, Sora thinks that’d be the happiest thing that’d happen to him~”

“Nngh… Sora-kun’s honesty isn’t good for the heart…”

“HuHu~ It’s your fault since Hina-chan interrupted Sora, you know~? But, anyway… Sora’s been wanting to say it for a long time, but… He really likes you… A whole lot, you know? More than games… More than sweets… But, just as much as Sora loves Switch… That’s how much Sora likes you.”

Hinata doesn’t say anything in response right away. He’s settled on staring at the blond with wide eyes and red cheeks, looking as though he were startled by the sheer amount of affection in both Sora’s words and soft smile. It’s his turn to process the situation was reality, and Sora is patient with him, only quietly moving close to take a hand in his own once more. The contact is enough to elicit a response, Hinata’s soft laughter coming out awkwardly and dumbly. His free hand is raised to rub at his eyes as though to dispel whatever falsities his mind seems to be playing. But when they open again, meeting Sora’s expectant gaze, his fingers run through his own hair with another nervous chuckle.

“Sora-kun… That… I…” His lips purse, throat clearing. “S-same here,” he confesses lamely, earning a subtle squint from the blond.

“After all that, that’s all Hina-chan’ll say~?”

“Sorry! I just…”

As he trails off, Sora only laughs in amusement, the blond leaning up to press a soft kiss to his cheek. “It’s okay~ Sora was just teasing you, Hina-chan.” Before Hinata even has a chance to respond, Sora throws his arms around his torso, face burying in his shoulder with the softest of sighs. “…Sora’s really glad… Hina-chan, thank you…”

His voice is oddly quiet, and feeling the way he tightens his hold, Hinata returns his embrace, eyes closing. His head lowers, chin resting on Sora’s shoulder, and though his cheeks are burning red, he doesn’t mind staying like this where… Anyone… Could see them if they passed by…

“Uh, Sora-kun—”

And as if on cue, Sora pulls away, expression surprised as though he remembered something really important.

“Sora forgot! We both left Master on his own! Master gets lonely easily, so we should go back!”

The surprise on Hinata’s features are wiped away quickly as he laughs, eyes rolling as a grin spreads on his lips. “Eh…~ Even as Sora-kun’s _b-boyfriend_ , I can’t win against Sakasaki-senpai?”

It’s Sora’s turn to roll his eyes, hand still holding onto the taller’s as he tugs him back towards the entrance of the building. “HuHu~ Sora and Hina-chan can go on a real date some other time, you know~? In game, that’s what comes after the confession scene!”

“Well, I _am_ the one that said to follow the otoge, huh…”

“HeHe~ That’s right~ Afterwards comes all the hardships and stuff, but if it’s with Hina-chan, we can make it through anything, huh~”

Sora’s carefree words soften the amused smile Hinata wears, and as though sensing the boy’s affections, the blond himself grins happily.

In truth, before Hinata, Sora had never thought too hard about romance. He was pleased with simply spending his time together with his friends. But if he were to gain knowledge on love somehow, he’s glad it’s with Hinata, the boy who’s warm like the sun and welcomed him with open arms despite all his oddities. His words were a mild joke, but if he could obtain the _True End_ of them spending years to come together, then it’d be the best ending to a story Sora had ever seen.

**Author's Note:**

> ty for reading!  
> as always, hmu on twitter @kyuumaiflower (bows)


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